


Life in Moving Pictures

by BookPirate



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, chloe's take on nate and elena, takes place during 2 3 4 and 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 16:26:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13617153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookPirate/pseuds/BookPirate
Summary: Chloe watches the progression of Nate and Elena's relationship through the years.Or, Chloe never asked to be part of a ragtag family but here she is.





	Life in Moving Pictures

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of feelings about Chloe okay. No one can tell me she, Charlie, Sully, and Nate aren't some kind of ragtag family that Elena marries in to.

Chloe likes to think that she gives off a calm, cool, and collected type of vibe. Someone who doesn’t give a flying fuck about anything except getting the job done. Sure, she has friends, but they’re more the kind of friends that’ll call her up when they need backup on a job, or who’ll grab a beer with her when they’re in the same town. Not the kind of friends who need shoulders to cry on, or, if they do, won’t need hers. Which is why she’s extremely uncomfortable with the way Nate’s watery eyes meet hers over his beer.

“She just, she doesn’t _get_ it,” he slurs, swaying a little in his seat. She represses a groan at the way he he slumps forward, head in hand. She really hopes he won’t hit his head; she would hate to have to try and find him medical care for a nonemergency that was caused by his drunk ass. “This is what I _am_.”

To be honest, she’s lost track of the conversation. “What, a drunk?”

He sits up indignantly. “No! A, a, a _treasure hunter_.”

She deserves a medal for managing to not roll her eyes. “Of course you are.”

“Then why can’t Elena see it?” With a sigh he slumps forward again.

“Look, Nate, just give it some time, yeah? This fight’ll blow over and you two will work it out, like you always do.”

Elena and Nate have quite a history of arguments, which is why Chloe’s not particularly worried about this one. At least, she wasn’t, until her friend sighs and starts picking at the label on his beer, and says, “I moved out.”

 _So much for calm, cool, and collected,_ she thinks as she chokes a little on her beer. “What?”

“It just,” he sighs again, “it wasn’t working out.”

She blinks, processing his words and reexamining the night in the context he’s just provided. Of course he would be in New York right now, because Sully has an apartment here, and Nate’s not on any job, or she would’ve heard about it. Especially since she’s been actively looking for work.

Suddenly, this feels uncomfortable. She remembers their wedding, the cute little affair they had on the beach in Bora Bora, how she and Charlie and Sully threw Nate a ridiculous faux stag party, how _happy_ they were. She wants to slap him.

“Nate,” she begins, trying not to sound like she thinks this is all a very bad idea.

“Just,” he makes some motion with his hand, “not tonight, okay? Sully’s already been giving me a hard time. I don’t want to hear it, alright?”

She sighs. “Yeah, whatever you need.”

She is his friend, first and foremost. She doesn’t know Elena, not really. Just that she’s smart, funny, good in a fight, and naively optimistic. Basically, the perfect person for the idiot sitting across from her, even if he doesn’t realize it. Still, her loyalty is to him, so she’ll give him this one.

Even if she has a feeling she’s going to end up regretting it.

* * *

Five months later, she gets the call. She’s in a, uh, _delicate_ , situation when it comes through, right in the middle of a heist in Cairo, so she doesn’t end up flying to London until about a month later, when things calm down. Sully meets her at the airport, which she takes as not a good sign. He’s here for a reason, and it’s probably about Nate, which means it’s also probably about Elena.

Not that she’s been consumed by thoughts of Nate and Elena’s relationship, but still. She'd be lying if she said she hadn’t wondered about it at all.

“There’s my girl,” he greets her with that classic Sully grin.

She smiles up at him and bumps their shoulders together as they walk back to the car, her bag slung over her shoulder. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? What’s new?”

“Nothing much,” he sighs as he takes her bag from her to throw it in the backseat of his car, “other than the goddamn mess Nate has made for himself.”

“You aren’t on board with this?” she asks, surprised. Sully is basically Nate’s dad, and as such rarely criticizes him to other people.

“No, no, the heist is fine. We’re finally gonna be sticking it to that old hag, and God knows it’s been a long time coming.” He lights his cigar and puffs on it for a few moments before they make it out of the parking lot at Heathrow. “It’s this whole thing with Elena. It’s not sitting right with me.”

“They’re still not back together?”

“Maybe they would be if they weren’t two of the most stubborn asses on the planet,” he grumbles. “Listen, don’t tell the kid I’m mentioning it, okay? Any mention of her name and he shuts down.”

She raises an eyebrow. “I do have some self-preservation instincts, you know.”

“Good.” He sighs again. “They’re not speaking. Haven’t, as far as I know, since Nate grabbed his stuff and walked out. This whole heist, he’s thrown himself into it. I’m afraid he’s getting reckless.”

She sucks in a breath. “Is it going to be okay, then? Or do we need to call this whole thing off?”

“He’s fine for now, but,” he takes his eyes off the road to meet her gaze, “I’m telling you this so you’re prepared, got it? Once we’re back we can’t speak about this again.”

“Does Charlie know?”

His eyes go back to the road. “No. I’m just telling you because you’ve known him longer and better than Cutter. You can’t tell unless you really know him.” He pauses, exhaling as he takes out his cigar and taps it against the ashtray in the car. “So, how was Cairo?”

She takes this to mean the conversation is over, so she switches topics smoothly, regaling Sully of her time running around the pyramids. In the back of her mind, however, she’s fervently hoping Nate doesn’t end up getting himself killed. Or, getting them all killed, knowing their luck.

* * *

 

She’s looking out of the window at the hospital she and Charlie have found themselves in, after having to have his leg reset. If she can squint, she can just make out the castle in the distance.

“Don’t.”

His voice snaps her out of her reverie. She turns to look at him, surprised that he’s awake. “Don’t what?”

“I know what you’re thinking,” he winces as he shifts in the bed, “and you can’t blame yourself for what happened back there.”

She sighs. “We should’ve gotten you out of there after you got drugged, Charlie. It was just sloppy behavior.”

Stifling a yawn, he manages, “We were outnumbered. ’S not your fault.”

“You’re right. It’s also Victor’s.” She rubs at her temples before sitting forward. “He _told_ me Nate was getting reckless, and I could _see_ it, but we pushed it aside for the treasure. And now they’re running off to Yemen, even after everything.”

He squints at her in confusion. “What d’you mean, reckless?”

“You haven’t noticed? How he’s just been throwing himself into situations without a care in the world?” she asks, throwing her hands up in frustration. “Marlowe has an army and endless resources, and he’s still chasing after this stupid treasure.”

He winces again as he sits up to argue. “Hang on, what’d you mean stupid? We’re looking at history here!”

She closes her eyes, and remembers the fervor in her father’s eyes. “Sometimes, Charlie, you have to know when to walk away.”

“And what about Marlowe? Are we supposed to just let her win?” he demands.

“You really think Marlowe would be able to figure out where Ubar is without Nate? If he stopped, she’d never be able to find it.”

He’s quiet for a moment, considering her words. “I don’t like it, but you may have a point.”

She offers him a tired grin. “Yeah, well, I’m usually right, aren’t I?”

“More often than I’d like.”

His eyes are drifting shut, so she stands up. “I’ll let you get some rest, and see if I can scout us a hotel.”

“Or you can stay, keep me company.”

Her grin is more genuine this time. “Why not?”

Settling back into her chair, she lets her own exhaustion overtake her. The last thought on her mind is the fervent wish that Sully and Nate make it out of this alive, and the question of, if they do die, how she’ll tell Elena.

* * *

 

In her opinion, wine always tastes better after a long day. Even though she probably shouldn’t be dulling her senses, she can’t help the relief she feels at the first sip of her glass, the tension leaving her shoulders. It’s the little things.

She’s considering calling it an early night as she drains the rest of the small bottle she’s been saving for days when the hotel stationary catches her eye. There’s nothing fancy about it, just plain white paper with the name of the hotel she’s staying at catching her eye. She might as well use it.

There’s a job on the horizon she could use a partner for, and it’s been a while since she’s spoken to Nate. Not that that’s unusual, but it is weird for her to think that he’s not out in the world, not like she is. He’s settled down, sworn off treasure hunting so he and Elena can make their marriage work.

She knows they’re making a mistake.

Hopefully the promise of a job will draw him away from the dull life of suburbia, but she knows as she writes that he probably won’t take the bait. It’s frustrating, knowing he plans on sticking to the humdrum of a mundane life. She doesn’t understand why he and Elena can’t accept that they both have the hearts of adrenaline junkies, their knowledge bases making them the perfect pair to tear up the world in search of long lost secrets.

When Nate told her they were done she had laughed.

“Chloe, I’m serious.”

There was no humor in his voice, and it stopped her laughter in its tracks. “Oh. But, Nate -“

He held up his hand. “Seriously. Elena and I talked about it, and we decided it just wasn’t worth it anymore.”

“What wasn’t worth it? The money? The adventure?”

“The constant life or death situations.” He was exasperated as he met her eyes. “I need to walk away. _We_ need to walk away.”

“And what, pretend you’re normal? That you belong with the masses in their mediocre lives?”

“Chloe.”

“Nate.”

He sighed and scrubbed at his face. “I need you to accept this, okay? Sully was fine with it.”

 _Sully is a fool_ , she had thought _._ “Fine, fine,” she raised her hands up in defeat, “it’s your life. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“We’re going to make it work. It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

The sad thing is it sounded like he almost believed it.

She finishes up her short note, the conversation still in her head. This might not persuade him to stop lying to himself, but at least she can say she tried.

* * *

 

“So.”

“So.”

She squints at Nate through the hazy atmosphere of the bar. “Libertalia? Really?”

His smile is sheepish. “Well, go big or go home, right?”

She turns to Elena. “And you’re okay with this?”

“Well, okay is a strong word, but,” Elena shakes her head and smiles, running a finger along the slightly greasy table they’re sitting at, “I think it made us realize that we weren’t living the life we should be.”

Chloe bites back an ‘I told you so’. “And now you’re back in the business?”

“ _Legitimate_ business,” Nate stresses. “If you want something on the more illegal side call up Charlie, or Scully and Sam.”

“Ah, right,” she exhales, “your long lost brother.”

“Thought _dead_ brother.”

“You’re really not making this sound any better, cowboy.” Elena nudges him in the side as she takes a swig of her drink.

“I miss out on all the fun.” Chloe pouts. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

Nate rubs at the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, I was trying to keep a low profile.”

“Hate to break it to you, but taking on Shoreline is the _opposite_ of low profile, love.”

“Right?” Elena snorts.

He sighs. “It was complicated.”

“I bet.” Chloe takes another sip of her beer as she contemplates the whole thing. “So, now you’re heading this treasure business.”

“D&F Fortunes,” Nate announces proudly, throwing his arm around his wife. “It was all her idea.”

Elena taps her beer bottle against his. “And don’t you forget it.”

Chloe is not even a little bit surprised. “Well done, sunshine. Just don’t put me out of a job, yeah?”

Nate laughs. “Don’t worry, Chloe. Something tells me you’re going to be in the business for a long time yet.”

“Cheers to that.” Chloe tips her bottle towards him before she downs the last of it, feeling like maybe her friends have finally got it right this time.

* * *

 

There are dark circles the size of saucers under his eyes, but she has to admit he looks happier than she’s ever seen him. She would’ve never guessed 10 years ago that the legend Nathan Drake would be happy living a legitimate life, but here they are. “Exhaustion looks good on you.”

He rolls his eyes, but can’t fight the smile on his face. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Hey,” Elena greets them as she enters, looking equally as tired and happy, “looks like someone is up and ready to say hello to Aunt Chloe.”

Cassie Drake is a small thing, all pink and blonde with her mothers eyes. They blink and take her in as Elena hands her off to unsuspecting arms.

“Oh, no, sunshine, I don’t do babies,” she tries to protest, even though her arms are already reaching around to cradle the bundle.

Elena waves her objections off as she collapses next to her husband on the couch. “You’ll be fine.”

“You partnered up with Nadine Ross and you’re scared of my three-month-old daughter?” Nate laughs. “Come on.”

“It’s a lot harder to kill Nadine,” she grumbles, shifting the baby so her arms won’t go numb. “I can’t believe you procreated.”

He looks smug as he tugs Elena closer. “Yeah, well, what can I say? We did good.”

Chloe hums, a soft hand on her cheek making her look down at the newest Drake. Cassie slips her hand towards Chloe’s mouth, almost grabbing at her lip before she manages to pull the hand away from her face. Cassie seems content with this development, and wraps her hand around one of Chloe’s fingers instead.

She feels her heart stop, before starting again, somehow warmer than before. “Yeah, you did. Surprisingly.”

“Hey, I’m good at stuff,” he says indignantly.

“Oh yeah?” Elena challenges him. “Like what?”

“Jumping, uh,” he looks like he’s trying to think, “climbing. Finding stuff!”

“Alright, calm down there, cowboy,” she laughs, “you’re _okay_ at finding stuff.”

Chloe is sure Nate responds indignantly to that, but Cassie starts making soft noises and steals her attention away. She hums softly, and the baby’s eyes start to drift in response. Maybe she’ll be good at this aunt thing after all.


End file.
